Clutch mechanism for reversing-gearing.



H. A. TUTTLE. CLUTCH MECHANISM FOR REVERSING GEARING.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.18.1915.

Patented Mar. 26, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2..

Wfizeases:

for operating the clutch to cause the clutch- @RY A. TUTTLE, OF TAUNTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO EVANS STAMPING & PLATING COMPANY, OF TAUNTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSA- USET'IS.

CLUTCH MECHANISMFOR EtEVERSIhTG-GEARING.

Patented Mar. 26, 1918.

flriglnal application filed May 26,1911, Serial No. 629,596. Divided and this application filed February 18,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY A. TUTTLE, a citizen of the 'United States, residing at Taunton, inthe county of Bristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented an 1111- provement in Clutch Mechanism for Be- Yersing-Gearingof which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to an improvementin clutches and more particularly to a means employed for forcing the clutch-plates into frictional cooperationhas comprised a series of pivoted levers arranged to move the clutch-plates, having their free ends arranged for slidableengagement with a cone-member, which is actuated by a shifting-lever to move said levers on'their pivots to secure the desired action. This construction necessarily involves a considerable space for the moving parts, as the pitch of the cone cannot be made too steep nor the levers cooperating therewith too short, as

otherwise great power isrequired to move the shifting-lever. to advance the cone and spread the levers. Hence, in those instances where space is of importance, th s type of operating-means is objectionable.

Furthermore, when employing a cone'as the operating element for the actuating-levers, said cone is usually so formed that when thrust forward to spread the levers, the latter will become locked, otherwlse locking-means must be provided for the shiftinglever or the associated parts will have a tendency to slip backward, WlllCh is, at times, very annoying.

The present invention is designed to present an operating-means in which the coneelement is entirely dispensed w th, and the, actuating-levers may be materially reduced the associated parts. Furthermore, the con- 1915. Serial No. 9,339.

' motion of the levers to the operating-means issuch-as to induce the maximum leverage with minimum of exertion, with the eifect' levers are positively held in clutch-operating position, thereby obviating the lockingmeans; and, also, is or may be such as to permit movement of the shifting-lever independent of saidlevers, such independent movement of the shifting-lever being employed for the purpose of operating a brakemechanism to effect reverse drive or for-performing some other function.

In the essential detail the improved operating-means consists in providing a series of pivoted levers having toe-portions, that is to say, portions with'projections, said levers being pivotally mounted and operating through the medium of their toe-portions or projections to actuate the clutch operatingmember. The ends of the leversreinote from the clutch operating-member are provided with pivoted links, which engage pins projecting from ears on a manually operable longitudinally sliding-member. These links are here shown as having elongated slots,

particularly, for the purpose of permitting independent movement of the shifting-lever. In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 represents a longitudinal vertical section through the clutch, illustrating one position of the clutch operating-means.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the clutch, illustrating respectively in full and dotted lines two other positions of the clutch.

In the accompanying drawings, '1 have illustrated the clutch of my aforesaid application, it being understood however, that the clutch details, per se, are immaterial so far as the present invention is conc rned, such invention being principally directed to the clutch-operating means. As here shown, the clutcl. mechanism in its conventional form may be said to include a member f hereinafter termed the driving-111cm: her and adapted through any suitable form of connection to be mediately or immediately connected to the driving-shaft a, and a driven-member (1, adapted by any suitable means to be secured to the driven-shaft e.

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llhe drive rig-member 'drivenmember d d7", d8, havingteeth on their inner or outer peripheral edges and having their adjacent l'aces' formed for clutching coiiperation to v lock the members in clutched position. To

induce" this movement or the plates it is obvious that one of the clutdh-members is movable'anially. For, this purpose, in the conventional form ofthe clutchishown, the

driving-member l" iii-mounted for sliding cotiperation with the driving-shaft to a limited degree, the said member being held against movement independent oil the shaft other than the slight relative sliding movementdescribed The present invention is concerned pri-. marily with means itor operating the slid-- ing or anially'hiovable member so as to induce the clutching cod -oration oi the plates dill till,

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arrangedwithin the case, and the particu lar structure to hereinafter described is designed to materially decrease the length of space required for such part or parts whileat the-ea so time providing for a comparatively easy manual. movement and the development insuch movement of suficient leverage to insure a proper frictional engagement. y W

tluch operating-means as here shown include levers i, pivotally mounted on ears 65 projecting from the wall f of the driving-member, which forms one wall of the clutchease. The relatively inner ends of these levers are formed with projections or toes a designed to coiiperate with the ringh appropriately recessed to receive the toes, the ring being supported upon an annular plate h, adjustably secured by a screw to a collar h, threaded upon the forward. or extended; end of the hub-portion 0Z of the driven-member d. The outer ends of the levers e" are preferably bifurcated and carry pivotally connected therewith, obtuseangled links 66, so constructed that when the outeror lever-connected ends of the its are at approximately right angles to the levers proper, theinner or free ends of the links are at. an inwardly extending ohtuse angle. Elongated practically throughout the length of the 9btuse-angled portions of the; l1nks, an d pins b9 are arranged to be received within and coliperate with the slots, pins progect- .ing from ears 70 vwhich extend radially from sleeve 'l'll' shdably mounted upon the driven slots 68 are formed headline shaft 0. The sleeve is adapted llor manipulation, that is, movent longitudi' iolded'inward, and the pins. are disposed at I the outer ends of the slots. and in such tion the clutch is released. lln"its forward position. from normal, the pins enga the ends of the slots of the links act to move a said links on their pivots, and there y move the pivoted levers, swinging their outer ends in an outwarddirection, and the toes oil the leversbeing held against movement, other than a swinging movement about the pivots of the levers,- the. axially movable clutch member will be moved to cause the clutchplates to engage each other and thereby set the clutchin its rearward position from normal the pins move freelyalong the slots or the links and the links and associated parts are not moved, thus permitting of. an independent movement of the shifting levernior the accomplishment of some other result, as, for instance, as here shown, tor

the setting 01 the brake-mechanism-oi a reverse-gearing which is here illustrated,

I claim 1. A clutch-mechanism for reversing gearing connecting admiring-shalt and a drivenshalt, said mechanism involvin an axially movable clutch-operating member, pivoted levers for operating said-member, a slidable ice sleeve, slotted links carried by the levers, pins carried by the sleeve and adapted to operate within the slots of the links, the slot portion of said links being arranged so that said sleeve is slidable in one direction from normal to abnormal position for operativcly moving the levers whereby the clutchmem her will be operated, and is slidable in the opposite direction from normal to abno position, for holding the-levers from move ment on their pivots while the sleeve is being thus moved.

2. A clutch-mechanism for revermlng gring connecting driving and driven-she said mechanism includmg a relatively ed portionand a relativelp movable portion arranged to actuate or re e v ase the clutch, lcvem formed at their inner ends for codperelion with the respective members to induceoper ative movement or inoperative movement ot' the said members in the respective move ments of the lovers, links carried by the innor ends of the levers and manna ly operdid its

lidlll ldli able means arranged on one of the shafts lie-I 7 health the levers for operably actuating the menses levers in one movement of said means and for inope'rahly actuating aid levers in another movement of said means.

3. A clutch-mechanism for reversing gearing connecting driving and driven shafts, said mechanism including a relatively fixed portion and a relatively movable portion arranged to actuate or release the clutch, levers formed at their inner ends for coo'peration with the respective members to induce operative movement or "inoperative movement of the said members in the respective movements of the levers, links carried by the inner ends of the levers, said links being slotted, a sliding sleeve arranged on one of the shafts beneath the levers, means, for operating the sleeve, and pins carried by the sleeve to onerativel en a e the slots 3 b of the links in movement of said sleeve in one direction and move said links inward, between the levers and sleeve.

i. A clutch-mechanism for reversing gearing connecting driving and driven shafts, said mechanism including a relatively fixed portion and a relatively movable portion arranged to actuate or release the clutch, levers formed at their inner ends for co operation with the respective members to induce operative movement or inoperative movement of the said members in the respective movements of the levers, links can ried hy the inner ends or the levers, said links being of obtnsed angled formation, one

, portion of each link being formed with an elongated slot, a sliding sleeve, pins carried by the sleeve and seated in the slots of the levers and means for operating the sleeve.

5. A. clutch-mechanism for reversing gearing connecting driving and driven shafts, said mechanism including relatively movable clutch actuating members, a sliding sleeve,

pivotally mounted links having slidinv con;- 1

nection with the sleeve and adapted in the movements of the sleeve to be swung in extended over the sleeve to 'tion from nt'i-rinal, whereby the pins wardly and means intermediate said links andthc respective clutch-members whim: aetuate'the cl members in the espective movements at the links, the links occupying positions between said means and the sleeve.

6 A. clut h-mechanism for reversing gearing connecting; a driving and driven-shaft, including an axially movable clutch operating-member, pivoted levers arranged to move said clutch operating-member axially, having toes adapted to engage an abutment, links pivotally connected to said levers and movable inwardly, a slidingsleeve arranged on one of the shafts having ears to which said links are slid-ably eonnected,-said sleeve being arranged beneath said levers, and-the links arranged between the levers and sleeve,

z and a pivoted ehiftin dever connected With said sleeve for moving it back and forth.

7. A clutch-mechan sm for reversing gearing connecting a driving and driven-shalt, including a clutch ope'ating inernber, pivoted levers for operating said member, a slidin sleeve arranged on one of the shafts beneath said levers, slotted links carried by the levers and arranged between the levers and sleeve, pins carried by the sleeve and adapted to operate in the slots of the links and to move said links inward, said sleeve being slidable in one direction from normal to abnormal position for operatively moving the levers in one direction, and said sleeve being slidahle in the opposite direo are caused to move in the slots without operatively moving the levers,

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification. in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

HEllR-Y A. TUTTLE. lVitnesses B, J. Norms, H. B, DAVIS.

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